The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-16
THEY DISLIKE OUR FOOD.
Dainties Popular with Civilized People
Reiected D., Many Savare Tribes.

Dainties Popular with Civilized People
Rejected By Many Savage Tribes.
Mr. Wallace says that among some of the
Pacific islanders hens eggs are saved to sell
to ships, but are never eaten by the natives.
Strawberries and raspberries are found in
some tropical regions, but they are never
eaten, aud in fact, are hardly worth picking,
as they are poor, almost tasteless things
The Esquimaux generally dislike all the
preparations of vegetables that the explorers
bring among them. They think it is per-
verted appetite that Graves anything but
meat
The natives of New Guinea, cook few ce-
reals in their own fashion, but they made very
wry faces when they attempted to eat some
fresh baked biscuits that the missionaries
gave them They finally wrapped their bis
cults up in paper, intending to keep them as
curiositieS.
Many savage tribes think eggs are wholly
unfit for food They keep fowls that are very
much like our own, and sometimes chickens
are almost their sole animal food, but they
never dreamed that anybody could get hun
CRY enough to eat eggs until they saw the
missionaries eat them
The same tribes that are astounded at some
of the articles white men put into their stom-
achs very likely eat grasshoppers, ants, mon
keys, elephants and many other things that
have not been introduced into our cuisine.
The pure white salt of commerce is the one
article in the nature of food that they are all
glad to get.
On some of the islands Of the Malay archi-
pelago there are hundreds of natives whose
only industry is to collect the edible birds
nests that are esteemed a great dainty by the
Chinese They wouldn't dream of eating them
themselves, and they think the Chinese must
be very peculiar people TO use that sort OF
food
There are a number of tribes In Africa
whose chief riches are their herds of cattle,
but who never drank drop of cows milk IN
their lives They think the milk of their
herds is for calves and not for human beings,
and thev are disguised at the idea that any
body should consider ii q proper article OF
food. A few tribes near the great lakes think
that it is a spectacle worth seeing to look at
the missionaries milking COWS and drinking
the milk.
The Esquimaux near Iittleton island once
| discovered a supply of bread and salt pork
| that Dr. Kane had cached and they pro-
| ceesied to enjoy feast at the white mems ex-
| peuse They liked the salt pork and did not
| leave a morsel of it. This was probably the
| first chance they had ever had to vary the
| monotony Of their meat diet. They nibbled
| the bread little. promptly pronounced it a
/ failure and told DIR. Kane aftsrward that
| they would as soon swallow SO much sand
A tribe living not far from Port Moresky,
| New Guinea. that think boiled snakes are TO
| be preferred 10 roast pig, draw the line at
4 sugar When they saw DIR. Chalmers, their
| first white visitor, sweetening his tea one
| morning they asked him for some of his salt.
DIR. Chalmers told them that it was not salt,
but they were incredulous, and so be gave
/ some sugar to one of the natives. @He began
| eating it, says DR.. Chalmers, land the look
| of disgust on his face was worth seeing: be
rose up, went out, spat out what be had In his
mouth, and threw the remainder away.
| Then be told the crowd what horrible stuff il
was, and they were satisfied to take his word
| for it without trying it themselves